Name Anthony Karos Age 46  Lives Currumbin Valley 

 

A keen surfer with an adventurous spirit, long-term Elevation member Anthony Karos has adapted his training to recover a knee reconstruction in record time. He’s also embraced our yoga and pilates classes to improve mobility, core strength and restoration.

Janelle Estreich caught up with Anthony to find out how he is overcoming injuries and what motivates him to keep up his training.

 

What are you focusing on with your training?

I’m the ‘Rehab King’! I originally started at Elevation in January 2017 after dislocating a toe. I had a 60 km trek that I had to get right for and hadn’t done anything like that before. I was using the Altitude Rooms and mountain climber equipment to help prepare for the trek.

 

What does your training look like on a usual week?

I normally get to two yoga classes and a pilates class. I’d never done yoga or pilates before but now Tuesday nights is ‘Broga’ — me and about five other mates have really taken to the yin yoga. We’re smashing the women at the moment in the numbers! We come out all floppy and sleepy so that helps with the restoration side of things that Ali encourages us to bring to our training.

I’ve been to a few other group classes with my wife and kids in the past. Because I’ve come off a knee reconstruction and some ankle issues, I use the bikes in the Altitude Room because it’s low impact but I still get the benefits.

 

It sounds as though you’re either accident prone or very unlucky — what’s the story?!

I injured my ankle in Bali surfing. My knee injury came about partly through the trekking but the dislocation happened while playing beach cricket with my 9-year-old daughter. Before that, my toe dislocation happened playing beach rugby with some Fijians. I have a tendency to go a bit too hard, too often and come away with injuries! I never injured myself from 0-40 years of age, but from 40-46 I’ve caught up pretty quickly.

 

Has that influenced the way you train now?

From a training perspective, I’m really wanting to do stuff that sets me up for the next 10, 20, 30 years. The focus is more on mobility and strength to keep joints and muscles working well, not so much for walking down the beach with the guns out! I love surfing so anything that can help me with that and the rehab is important for me.

 

How have you utilised the Centre to assist your recovery?

The beauty of the Altitude Rooms is that you can continue with your training, modifying what you’re doing, but really keep that cardio side up without putting stress on your joints or on an injury. After my knee reconstruction I was keeping up with 20-year-old footballers in terms of my rehab because I was going every day into the Altitude Rooms to do my physio, stretching and strength in there, as well as the cardio.

Within four months of having a knee reconstruction, I was back surfing. There’s no way I could have done that without the Altitude Rooms and the kind of gym that Elevation is where they encourage you to take that approach.

 

What’s the community side been like in your experience?

I hadn’t been to a gym in 20+ years, so I’ve found it be an amazing bunch of people. The reasons people come to Elevation seems to vary significantly, but there’s a core culture where people will say hello to you and are generally warm and engaging.

I love it when people are passionate about what they do. Ali and Cal have certainly got that passion and are seeing the benefits for their members and in terms of the kind of culture they’re creating.

 

 

How do you refuel after a workout?

My wife is a food Nazi so that certainly helps me! I eat at the Elevation cafe quite a bit, so I can have a shower and go straight to work from the gym after a nice, nutritional breakfast.

 

When you’re not at the gym, where would we find you?

In the water, definitely. I love surfing, on all kinds of boards — the 4’6″ mini surfboards through to 9’8″ 1960s log. I get out with my three daughters and my wife who is learning to surf. When we’re not doing that, we enjoy travelling and camping in our caravan.

 

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Our 7-Day Free trial is a great way to get a feel for Elevation. Pop in for a chat and see the Centre at Shop 2/151 West Burleigh Road, Burleigh Heads, get in touch via 0422205752 or email info@elevationfitness.com.au.